Cape Breton fire chief concerned over lack of ambulance coverage

The fire chief of the Cabot Volunteer Fire Department says there has been a lack of ambulance coverage North of Smokey in July and August.

“There have been more nights than not in the last two months that we did not have any ambulance in our area,” said Kimber Macleod, chief of the Cabot Volunteer Fire Department.

She says it's a helpless feeling for first responders.

Some firefighters are trained as medical first responders, but they are not allowed to transport a patient to the hospital, leaving their hands tied.

“If somebody ends up passing away in our presence because we weren't able to do more, then it really takes its toll on us,” said MacLeod.

The Union that represents paramedics in Nova Scotia says there are shortages across the province, with some paramedics off due to injuries or illness, while others are on vacation, leaving staffing levels low.

“It is stretching our resources thin and, as a result, it’s putting an increased demand especially on our highland units,” said IOUE Local 727 business manager Kevin MacMullin.

MacMullin says the union is in talks with EHS and the province to address staffing challenges, and feels more paramedics are needed in Nova Scotia to help fill voids.

“The province has stepped in and offered a primary care packages, that if people agree to sign on for two years they'll pay $11,500 towards tuition, which is great,” said MacMullin.

In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson for Emergency Health Services said EHS consistently had a minimum of one paramedic unit staffed, and most times there were two North of Smokey.

EHS says paramedic crews are often mobile responding to calls, providing community coverage and moving back to their base. It can appear that an EHS base is vacant when it is actually staffed.

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